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G Foglia

Publications and source records attributed to G Foglia.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Recovery from a single blood culture of two enterococcus gallinarum isolates carrying both vanC-1 and vanA cluster genes and differing in glycopeptide susceptibility.

Two Enterococcus gallinarum isolates distinguished by different colony sizes were recovered from the same blood culture from a woman with acute myeloid leukemia. They were designated E31 (the one with larger colonies) and E32 (the one with smaller colonies). Both isolates were glycopeptide resistant, but the MICs of vancomycin and teicoplanin for E31 (32 and 2 microg/ml, respectively, consistent with the VanC phenotype) and E32 (128 and 16 microg/ml, respectively, consistent with the VanA phenotype) were different. E31 and E32 had the same plasmid profile and showed identical pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns after digestion of total DNA with NotI and a two-band variation after digestion with SmaI. Polymerase chain reaction experiments showed that both isolates had both the vanC-1 and vanA genes and carried a Tn1546-related transposon lacking orf1, vanY, and vanZ. The absence of these three genes was confirmed by Southern analysis with appropriate probes. Southern hybridization experiments using a vanA probe showed that this atypical Tn1546-related element appeared to be located on the chromosome. In both E31 and E32, the vanA probe hybridized to EcoRV and HindIII fragments larger in size than the hybridizing fragments observed in the VanA prototype strain Enterococcus faecium BM4147, suggesting the lack of the relevant EcoRV and HindIII restriction sites.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed2001

Patterns of regional sympathetic nerve traffic in preascitic and ascitic cirrhosis.

Overactivity of the sympathetic nervous system and portal hypertension are key factors in the development of ascites in cirrhosis. The sympathoexcitation that characterizes the more advanced stages of liver diseases is less clearly defined in preascitic cirrhosis. We measured sympathetic nerve traffic to skeletal muscle (peroneal nerve) and to skin districts by microneurography in (1) 12 Child class A cirrhotic patients with clinically significant portal hypertension (portal pressure gradient > 10 mm Hg, 14.8 +/- 1.2 mm Hg, mean +/- SEM) but without actual or previous ascites, (2) 16 Child class C cirrhotic patients with tense ascites, and (3) 10 patients with mild congestive heart failure, a condition paradigmatic of a marked sympathetic activation. Muscle sympathetic nerve traffic was markedly increased in Child class C subjects as compared with controls (23.9 +/- 1.6 bursts/min, P <.01) and superimposable to that recorded in heart failure patients (52.9 +/- 4.7 vs. 60.3 +/- 2 bursts/min, P = not significant). Muscle sympathetic nerve traffic was also increased in Child class A subjects (41.6 +/- 2 bursts/min, P <.01 vs. controls) although to a lesser extent (P <.05 vs. Child class C patients). Skin sympathetic nerve traffic was within the normal range in all patients. Neurohormones were all markedly increased in Child class C subjects. Only norepinephrine was increased in Child class A patients. Our data show that sympathetic nerve traffic activation (1) is already detectable in Child class A cirrhosis when clinically significant portal hypertension is present but ascites never developed and (2) is not generalized because although muscle traffic is increased, skin traffic is within normal range. The role of drugs modulating sympathoactivation should be investigated in preascitic cirrhosis.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Paclitaxel by 72-hour continuous infusion followed by bolus intravenous ifosfamide or epirubicin: results of two phase I studies.

UNLABELLED: STUDY PURPOSES: To determine the maximum-tolerated dose (MTD) of paclitaxel administered by 72-hour continuous infusion followed by bolus intravenous ifosfamide on days 4 and 5 or epirubicin on day 4, every 21 days. To assess the toxicity and preliminary activity in patients with advanced refractory solid tumors. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Sixteen patients with progressive disease after standard chemotherapy for advanced disease were treated with the combination paclitaxel-ifosfamide and 10 patients with the combination paclitaxel-epirubicin. RESULTS: In the first phase I study the MTDs were: paclitaxel 135 mg/m2 and ifosfamide 2.5 mg/m2/day; hematologic toxicity was the dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) during the first cycle of therapy at dose level 4. Paclitaxel administered at 135 mg/m2 and epirubicin 50 mg/m2 were the MTDs in the second phase I study; grade 4 stomatitis was the DLT of this combination. CONCLUSIONS: Paclitaxel by 72-hour continuous infusion followed by bolus ifosfamide was a manageable regimen with an acceptable hematologic toxicity in the absence of neurotoxicity. Preliminary activity of this combination was encouraging in a group of patients with ovarian cancer. The optimal way to combine paclitaxel and epirubicin and the best schedule relative to such a long paclitaxel infusion time in this combination regimen remain to be determined.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Color Doppler sonography of uterine arteriovenous malformation.

Arteriovenous malformation of the uterus is a rare but potentially life-threatening lesion. We report a case of arteriovenous malformation of the uterus in a 19-year-old nulliparous woman. The diagnosis was made with color Doppler sonography and was confirmed histologically. Color Doppler sonography helps differentiate uterine arteriovenous malformation from other entities that have a similar appearance on gray-scale sonograms.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

[Preoperative autologous blood donation and transfusion in gynecology].

BACKGROUND: Autologous transfusions reduce the risk of alloimmune and infectious complications of allogenic blood transfusions. We have evaluated preoperative autologous blood donation practice in relation to patients characteristics and surgical technique. METHODS: In the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department of Genoa University, we enrolled 462 patients in an autologous transfusion program during 1997. We did not analyze 105 patients who underwent minor surgery. Patients with hemoglobin lower than 11 g/dl or with other risks related to autotransfusion have been excluded; 284 (79.5%) patients have been able to make preoperative autologous blood donations. Patients who did not undergo predeposit have utilised type screen or cross reaction for a possible who did eterologous transfusion. We have analysed the two groups of patients for kind of pathology, for number of heterologous blood units used, for number of transfused patients and we have considered the mean of the units received by each of them. RESULTS: 44 of the 284 predeposited blood units were reinfused while 10 patients, who did not undergo predeposit, were transfused. Heterologous transfusion was done in 1.06% of the cases that underwent predeposit. Oncologic patients underwent predeposit in 83% of the cases. CONCLUSIONS: We have concluded that autologous blood donation reduces the risk of allogenic blood transfusion especially in oncologic surgery.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Completeness of and duration of time before treatment after screening women for Chlamydia trachomatis infections.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the proportion of women with verified treatment after positive screening tests for C. trachomatis infection and to evaluate the duration of time until treatment. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort analysis linking the date of a positive genital C. trachomatis test with the documented date of treatment. SETTING: Family planning, sexually transmitted disease, obstetrical/gynecologic, adolescent, and walk-in clinics in Philadelphia from March 1, 1994 through December 31, 1995. PARTICIPANTS: Included 4,158 women with screening tests positive for C. trachomatis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Documented treatment of chlamydia-infected women and duration of time between initial clinic visit and therapy. RESULTS: Over a 21-month period, 4,158 women had endocervical screening tests positive for C. trachomatis. Twenty-four percent of these women were treated presumptively (on the day of specimen collection), with sexually transmitted disease clinics yielding the highest percentage (70.9%) of presumptively treated patients. Of the 3,143 chlamydia-positive women not treated presumptively, treatment was subsequently verified in 96.2%. The median interval between screening and treatment was 21 days. Private adolescent clinics had the lowest median interval of 14 days between screening and treatment, whereas public family planning clinics showed the largest median screening to treatment interval of 26 days. CONCLUSIONS: Large-scale screening programs in public health settings can bring nearly all C. trachomatis-infected patients to treatment. However, new strategies are needed to shorten the duration of time before treatment of selected subsets of women who screen positive for C. trachomatis.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Increased cyclin D1 expression is associated with features of malignancy and disease recurrence in ovarian tumors.

Alterations in the expression of cyclin D1 have been reported frequently in several human cancers, but their significance in the multistep model of carcinogenesis has been scantly described. To define the pattern of cyclin D1 expression in the development of ovarian cancer and clinical outcome, 55 cases of benign ovarian tumors, 12 borderline cases, and 37 ovarian carcinomas (32 primary and 5 recurrent carcinomas) were studied. Analyses were carried out on fresh tumor specimens by Western blotting and reverse transcription-PCR and provided significant superimposable results (P = 0.00001). Cyclin D1 abundance was classed according to the densitometric values as undetectable, detectable, well detectable, and highly detectable. A significant increase (P < 0.000001) in median cyclin D1 values was observed from benign (0.038; range, 0.001-0.705) to borderline (0.226; range, 0.001-0.623) to malignant (0.347; range, 0.027-2.330) to recurrent (0.887; range, 0.309-2.2260) tumors. In addition, higher median cyclin D1 values were reported in serous carcinomas (P = 0.058) and advanced-stage diseases (P = 0.003). Survival analyses carried out in the 32 primary carcinomas showed no significant difference in overall survival between detectable versus well/highly detectable cyclin D1 neoplasms. Conversely, a significant relationship between cyclin D1 expression and progression-free survival was found (P = 0.031). These results may elucidate the function of altered cyclin D1 expression in ovarian tumorigenesis and provide a basis for additional studies on its prognostic role.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗
PubMed1998

Actinomycosis.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Actinomyces↗
PubMed1998

Spontaneous interstitial pregnancy on a tubal stump after unilateral adenectomy followed by transvaginal colour Doppler ultrasound.

Transvaginal colour and angio Doppler blood flow analysis combined with serial measurement of human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) concentration is reported here for the first time to study the local vascularity of a cornual pregnancy and to monitor the effectiveness of medical therapy. Interestingly, a strong relationship between morphological changes of trophoblastic tissue and the intensity of neovascularization was noted. Systemic single-dose methotrexate (MTX) therapy allowed successful treatment of an interstitial ectopic pregnancy involving part of the proximal portion of a tubal stump. We suggest that, by adding colour Doppler to conventional transvaginal ultrasonography, the outpatient surveillance of ectopic pregnancy evolution following MTX therapy is greatly enhanced. This is of particular value in cornual pregnancies which are highly likely to develop harmful complications during surgical intervention or even during puncture for local MTX injection.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Intraperitoneal carboplatin with or without interferon-alpha in advanced ovarian cancer patients with minimal residual disease at second look: a prospective randomized trial of 111 patients. G.O.N.O. Gruppo Oncologic Nord Ovest.

From June 1990 to October 1994, 111 advanced ovarian cancer patients with minimal (less than 2 cm) residual disease after platinum-based front-line chemotherapy and second-look laparotomy entered a cooperative randomized study aimed at evaluating the effectiveness and the toxicity of the addition of interferon-alpha2 to carboplatin, both intraperitoneally (ip) administered. Patients were randomized to receive either 3 courses of ip Carboplatin 400 mg/m2 Day 1 q 28 days (54 pts) (CBDCA) or ip interferon-alpha 25 x 10(6) U Day 1 + ip carboplatin 400 mg/m2 Day 2 q 28 days (57 pts) (CBDCA + IFN). Patients treated with interferon experienced more severe (WHO grade 3-4) leukopenia (28% vs 17.1%) and anemia (14% vs 4.2%). Fever (P = 0.000) and flu-like syndrome (P = 0.02) were significantly more frequent in the combination arm. No difference in gastroenteric, neurologic, or renal toxicity was observed. At a median follow-up time of 13 months (range 1-72) 71 patients showed a disease progression (31 CBDCA, 40 CBDCA + IFN) and 44 patients died (21 CBDCA, 23 CBDCA + IFN). Median progression-free survival was 11 months in the CBDCA group and 10 months in the CBDCA + IFN arm. Median survival was 22 and 29 months in CBDCA and CBDCA + IFN arm, respectively. In conclusion, intraperitoneal interferon-alpha does not seem to improve the results achievable with intraperitoneal carboplatin in this subset of patients, while the toxicity and the costs of the combination are consistently higher than with chemotherapy alone.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Expression of cyclin D1 correlates with malignancy in human ovarian tumours.

Cyclin D1 is a cell cycle regulator of G1 progression that has been suggested to play a relevant role in the pathogenesis of several human cancer types. In the current study, the expression of cyclin D1 has been investigated in a series of 33 patients, with benign (10 patients), borderline (five patients) and malignant (18 patients) ovarian disease. Cyclin D1 protein and mRNA content were analysed by Western blotting and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction respectively. The levels of cyclin D1 protein were undetectable in patients with benign disease, detectable in the majority of patients with borderline disease and elevated in those with ovarian carcinomas, being significantly related to the degree of malignancy (carcinoma vs benign, P = 0.0001; benign vs borderline, P = 0.0238). A significant relationship between cyclin D1 expression and tumour proliferative activity was also found (P = 0.000001). Moreover, eight benign lesions, two borderline tumours and 11 carcinomas proved to be suitable for the analysis of cyclin D1 transcript, and emerging data demonstrated significant agreement between protein abundance and mRNA expression. Results from the current study suggest that cyclin D1 expression is associated with the degree of transformation and most probably plays a role in the early development of ovarian malignancy.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

[Lipoleiomyoma of the uterus].

The presence of fatty tissue in the myometrium is anomalous; this alteration has been interpreted either as a lipomatous degeneration or as a metaplasia of smooth muscle cells or, still, as a real neoplasm, frequently associated with a leiomyoma, the so-called lipoleiomyoma. The observation of a case of lipoleiomyoma stimulated us to ascertain the real incidence of this lesion which is commonly considered to be rare. We examined 620 single or multiple uterine leiomyomas with extensive sampling of all the areas suspected to contain fatty tissue islands. Five times out of seven the presence of fat cells in a leiomyoma resulted to be a true lipoleiomyoma. It has thus been possible to ascertain the incidence of lipoleiomyoma versus uterine leiomyomatosis (0.8%). Futhermore we observed a prevalence in menopause, an association with multiple leiomyoma and a preferential onset in the subserosa. The pathogenesis of this lesion, which can be fully ascribed to a mixed, benign, heterologous, mesenchymal neoplasm, is briefly discussed.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1996

Establishment and characterization of three new cell lines derived from the ascites of human ovarian carcinomas.

Three human cancer cell lines (OC 314, OC 315, and OC 316) were newly established in permanent culture from the ascites of patients with serous adenocarcinoma of the ovary. OC 314 was derived from an untreated tumor presenting with ascites at diagnosis; OC 315 was isolated from a neoplasm progressing after cisplatin-containing regimen; and OC 316 was collected from a patient with pleural metastasis at diagnosis, resistant to different chemotherapeutic treatments including Taxol. These cell lines were repetitively subcultured once to twice a week through 75-80 passage generations. Tumor cells grew as monolayers and displayed epithelial-like morphology, consistent with a feature of adenocarcinoma, which was then confirmed by the expressions of cytokeratins and vimentin. The cell lines proved highly tumorigenic when transplanted into nude mice, both subcutaneously and intraperitoneally. In addition, the mice inoculated with subcutaneous OC 316 developed extremely aggressive tumor, also invading the peritoneum, which correlated with the malignant behavior of the original tumor. Drug sensitivity, evaluated by the MTT assay, showed that the three cell lines expressed similar sensitivity to doxorubicin. Responses to cisplatin essentially reported low sensitivity of OC 314 and OC 315 and resistance of OC 316, thus reflecting the original sensitivity at the clinical level.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

High-dose versus low-dose cisplatin in combination with cyclophosphamide and epidoxorubicin in suboptimal ovarian cancer: a randomized study of the Gruppo Oncologico Nord-Ovest.

PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to compare high-versus low-dose cisplatin in combination with cyclophosphamide and epidoxorubicin as primary chemotherapy for suboptimal stage III and IV ovarian cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred forty-five patients were randomized to receive six courses of cisplatin 50 or 100 mg/m2 plus epidoxorubicin 60 mg/m2 and cyclophosphamide 600 mg/m2. The two treatment arms were well balanced; all patients had greater than 2 cm and 37.2% had greater than 5 cm of residual disease; 29.6% had stage IV disease. RESULTS: Patients in the high-dose arm received a double dose-intensity and double total dose of cisplatin. The high-dose regimen induced significantly more episodes of leukopenia (47.8% v 32.8%, P = .05), thrombocytopenia (21.7% v 3.2%, P = .003), anemia (37.6% v 12.5%, P = .002), nephrotoxicity (six v one patient), and neurotoxicity (30.4% v 6.3%, P = .002). There were no significant differences in efficacy in terms of clinical response rate (high-dose 57.5% v low-dose 61.1%), pathologic complete response (CR) (9.6% v 18.1%), median survival times (29 v 24 months), and median progression-free survival (18 v 13 months). CONCLUSION: This study shows that doubling the dose-intensity and total dose of cisplatin in combination with epidoxorubicin and cyclophosphamide has significant toxic effects and does not improve clinical outcome in patients with suboptimal ovarian cancer.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Randomized study comparing chemotherapy plus radiotherapy versus radiotherapy alone in FIGO stage IIB-III cervical carcinoma. GONO (North-West Oncologic Cooperative Group).

Between January 1989 and December 1991, 64 patients with advanced cervical carcinoma FIGO stage IIb-III were randomized to receive radiotherapy (RT) alone or the sequential combination of chemotherapy (CT) and RT. RT consisted of external RT (40 Gy fractionated over 4 weeks)+brachy-therapy (40 Gy to point A)+an additional boost to the parameters (15-20 Gy) in arm RT; CT consisted of cisplatin 60 mg/m2 i.v. day 1 q 15 days administered for 2 cycles before the start of RT and for 4 cycles after the end of radiation treatment in CT+RT arm. Among the 58 evaluable patients objective response rate was as follows: in RT arm, CR in 40.7% of patients, PR in 40.7%, and SD in 18.6%; in CT+RT arm, CR in 42% of patients, PR in 35.5%, and SD in 22.5%. The median duration of response was 12 months (range: 3-38 + months). At a median follow-up of 36 months survival (S) and progression-free survival (PFS) were 83% and 72.4% in RT arm, 72% and 59.3% in CT+RT arm, respectively. No significant difference was observed between the 2 treatment arms, neither in terms of objective response nor in terms of S and PFS. Both treatments were generally well tolerated. In our experience the addition of chemotherapy to standard radiotherapy does not enhance morbidity and does not interfere with the correct delivery of the planned treatment. However, results of this combined modality regimen remain unsatisfactory, since no improvement in pelvic control and survival of patients with advanced cervical carcinoma was observed.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Treatment of FIGO stage Ib cervical carcinoma with nodal involvement.

One hundred and eighty one patients with stage Ib cervical cancer underwent hysterectomy with pelvic lymphadenectomy. The overall incidence of lymph node metastases was 20%. Twenty seven (71%) patients with nodal involvement were treated by external radiotherapy (TCT) and 11 (29%) by both chemotherapy and radiotherapy (Lin. Acc.). The overall survival at 5 years was 80%; it was 43% for patients with positive nodes and 89% for patients without metastatic nodal disease. The 3 year survival of patients with positive nodes who underwent radiation therapy by TCT was 58%, while it was 72% for those treated by chemotherapy plus radiotherapy. We observed a recurrence in 23% of the cases, 52% in patients with positive nodes and 15% in those with negative nodes. The association chemo-radiotherapy in patients with metastatic lymph nodes seems to improve the survival and reduce the recurrence rate.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1992

Cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy with or without doxorubicin in advanced epithelial ovarian cancer: 8-year update of a randomized multicentric clinical trial. The Gruppo Oncologico Nord Ovest (GONO).

One hundred and twenty-five patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) were postsurgically included in a multicentric clinical trial comparing the association of cisplatin (CDDP) (50 mg/m2 iv day1) + cyclophosphamide (CTX) (600 mg/m2 iv day 1) (PC regimen) versus the combination of PC + doxorubicin (ADM) (45 mg/m2 iv day 1) (PAC regimen), repeated every four weeks. After the sixth course of chemotherapy, patients without clinical evidence of disease or with surgically resectable residual disease (RD) underwent second-look laparotomy. Afterwards patients in surgical complete response (sCR) stopped chemotherapy, while partial responders or patients with stable disease received six more courses of the same regimen used as first-line treatment. Among the 67 patients with measurable RD, PAC regimen achieved a better clinical complete response (40.6% vs 20.0%); the difference approached statistical significance. In the 75 patients who underwent second-look laparotomy, PAC regimen induced a significantly higher sCR rate (62.2% vs 39.5%, p less than 0.05). The median survival (S) and progression free survival (PFS) were better in PAC arm, even if the differences were not statistically significant. Eight-year S and 8-year PFS were 32.7% and 24.7% respectively, for PAC arm, and 23.9% and 14.1%, respectively, for PC arm. These data seem to confirm the clinical advantage provided by the addition of ADM to PC regimen in the treatment of advanced EOC.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗